Social Housing & Companionship

Effect of different management protocols for grouping does on aggression and dominance hierarchies

The study aimed at evaluating different management protocols of grouping does in regard to aggressive interactions and the establishment of a hierarchy under commercial conditions. Fifty-seven multiparous rabbit does of the Hycole hybrid maternal line were randomly distributed into three...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Munari, C., Mugnai, C., Braconnier, M. et al. 2020. Effect of different management protocols for grouping does on aggression and dominance hierarchies. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 227, 104999.

Effects of pair versus individual housing on performance, health, and behavior of dairy calves

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of pair versus individual housing on performance, health, and behavior of dairy calves. Thirty female Holstein dairy calves were assigned to individual (n = 10) or pair housing (n =...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Liu, S., Ma, J., Li, J. et al. 2020. Effects of pair versus individual housing on performance, health, and behavior of dairy calves. Animals 10(1), 50.

Improved behavioral indices of welfare in continuous compared to intermittent pair-housing in adult female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Limiting opportunities for captive nonhuman primates (NHPs) to express species-specific social behaviors may disrupt the adaptive drive for social companionship and may lead to increases in coping behaviors and inactivity. While captive NHPs show improved welfare when moving to pair-housing...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Cassidy, L. C., Hannibal, D. L., Semple, S. et al. 2020. Improved behavioral indices of welfare in continuous compared to intermittent pair-housing in adult female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology 82(10), e23189.

Large group housing systems in fattening bulls—Comparison of behavior and performance

According to international housing recommendations, fattening bulls should not be housed in groups of more than 12–20 animals. However, there are no scientific studies supporting these recommendations as most studies on fattening cattle refer to smaller groups. Therefore, the aim...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Schneider, L., Volkmann, N., Spindler, B. et al. 2020. Large group housing systems in fattening bulls—Comparison of behavior and performance. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 543335.

Postweaning grouping as a strategy to reduce singly housed male mice

Rearing laboratory mice in groups is important since social isolation after weaning induces brain alterations, which entails behavioral abnormalities in adulthood. Age is an important factor when grouping males of different litters due to inter-male aggressiveness. The aim of this...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Grífols, R., Zamora, C., Ortega-Saez, I. et al. 2020. Postweaning grouping as a strategy to reduce singly housed male mice. Animals 10(11), 2135.

Prolonged isolation stress accelerates the onset of Alzheimer’s disease-related pathology in 5xFAD mice despite running wheels and environmental enrichment

Research has demonstrated that stress can exacerbate AD pathology in transgenic mouse models of AD. The purpose of the present studies was to extend this work by determining whether a social stressor, isolation stress, would increase the number of Aβ...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Peterman, J.L., White, J.D., Calcagno, A. et al. 2020. Prolonged isolation stress accelerates the onset of Alzheimer’s disease-related pathology in 5xFAD mice despite running wheels and environmental enrichment. Behavioural Brain Research 379, 112366.

Relationship tenure differentially influences pair-bond behavior in male and female socially monogamous titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus)

Pair-bonded primates have uniquely enduring relationships and partners engage in a suite of behaviors to maintain these close bonds. In titi monkeys, pair bond formation has been extensively studied, but changes across relationship tenure remain unstudied. We evaluated differences in...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Rothwell, E. S., Carp, S. B., Savidge, L. E. et al. 2020. Relationship tenure differentially influences pair-bond behavior in male and female socially monogamous titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus). American Journal of Primatology 82(10), e23181.

Social enrichment by separated pair housing of male C57BL/6JRj mice

Laboratory male mice are often housed individually due to aggressive behavior or experimental requirements, though social isolation can cause welfare issues. As a strategy to refine housing of male mice, we introduce the separated pair housing system. A perforated transparent...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Hohlbaum, K., Frahm, S., Rex, A. et al. 2020. Social enrichment by separated pair housing of male C57BL/6JRj mice. Scientific Reports 10, 11165.

Social housing ameliorates the enduring effects of intermittent physical stress during mid-adolescence

Our prior work showed that exposing single housed rats to intermittent physical stress (IPS) in mid-adolescence (PD35-46) led to increased risk-taking/decreased anxiety behaviour in adulthood, as indexed by their greater willingness to explore the open-arms of an elevated plus maze....

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Wilkin, M. M., Menard, J. L. 2020. Social housing ameliorates the enduring effects of intermittent physical stress during mid-adolescence. Physiology & Behavior 214, 112750.

Social isolation in rats: Effects on animal welfare and molecular markers for neuroplasticity

Early life stress compromises brain development and can contribute to the development of mental illnesses. A common animal model used to study different facets of psychiatric disorders is social isolation from early life on. In rats, this isolation can induce...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Begni, V., Sanson, A., Pfeiffer, N. et al. 2020. Social isolation in rats: Effects on animal welfare and molecular markers for neuroplasticity. PLOS ONE 15(10), e0240439.